Folklore Program Information

Studies in Folklore

The Folklore Program at the University of Oregon is one of a few major centers of folkloristic research in the United States. With more than thirty participating faculty, our program provides an interdisciplinary approach to a Masters Degree, allowing students to create a focused course of study in their areas of interest.

The Folklore Program offers perspectives on ethnic, regional, occupational, gender, and other traditional identities of individuals in specific societies. Students study the extent to which tradition continues to enrich and express the dynamics of human behavior throughout the world. Folklore courses examine the historical, cultural, social, and psychological dimensions of such expressive forms as mythology, legend, folktale, music, dance, art, belief, foodways, ritual, and ceremony.

Folklore graduates work in various public and private agencies as educators, archivists, editors, arts and humanities consultants, museum curators, festival planners, and more.

In addition to the undergraduate major and minor in Folklore, the UO’s Folklore Program has introduced two new tracks to its existing graduate Master’s degree program. The General Folklore Track offers students a strong foundation in Folklore Studies while also allowing them to take elective courses in their areas of focus, such as anthropology, arts and administration, English, comparative literature, and music. The Public Folklore Track prepares students who plan to work in the public sphere by building professional skills such as ethnographic research, documentation, grant writing, administration, and programming. For more information about graduate studies in Folklore at the University of Oregon, please visit our: Graduate Studies page.

The American Folklore Society (AFS) is the national professional academic organization for the discipline of Folklore. For information about the AFS and to learn how to become a member, use this link.